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Thales Australia receives major contract to build military vehicles for the Australian Defence Force

Thales Australia receives major contract to build military vehicles for the Australian Defence Force

06 Oct, 2015

Victorian-based
Thales Australia has been awarded a A$1.3 billion Commonwealth contract to
build the next generation of military vehicles in Bendigo, 2 hours north-west
of Melbourne.

The contract to build 1,100 Hawkei
military vehicles and 1,000 trailers is expected to create 60 new jobs and
secure hundreds of existing jobs at the Bendigo manufacturing facility and at
supply chain businesses across Victoria.

Thales
Australia is a subsidiary of the Thales
Group, a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport, Defence and
Security markets. Thales in Australia is a trusted partner of the Australian Defence Force and
is also present in commercial sectors ranging from air traffic management and
ground transport systems to security systems and services. Employing around
3,200 people in over 35 sites across the country, Thales in Australia recorded
revenues of A$1 billion in 2014.

Chris Jenkins, CEO of Thales
Australia, said, "We are proud to have been chosen to deliver this next
generation of protected vehicles to our armed forces, and we stand by them
ready to support and adapt it as their requirements evolve."

"We also thank our many suppliers
on the program – companies in Australia and overseas that have been with us on
this long journey, and who have played a significant role in shaping the Hawkei
and contributing to its success. It's a great story about what Australian
industry and international partnerships can achieve."

Image: Hawkei military vehicleVictoria is Australia's state for
defence industry excellence. Victoria's existing strengths in military land vehicle
manufacturing, naval ship design and building and defence ICT are increasingly
being enhanced by new and emerging competitive advantages in areas such as
advanced manufacturing, cyber technologies, robotics and professional services. Victoria's defence industry has been measured
to have an economic impact on Victoria of up to $8 billion, employing around
7,000 people.

Victorian Minister for Industry, Lily
D'Ambrosio said, "This contract is a vote of confidence in Victoria's defence
manufacturing industry that will boost jobs and benefit local businesses across
the supply chain."

The defence industry is one of the
sectors of extraordinary potential growth that the Victorian Government is
supporting through the A$200 million Future
Industries Fund. This fund will help transition the Victorian economy through targeted
investment to grow Victorian industries and create more jobs, ensuring the
state is best placed to reach into the emerging defence force markets along
with traditional defence markets in the US, Europe and Australia.